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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23513590">Plant Daddy</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/vampiretyong/pseuds/vampiretyong'>vampiretyong</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ambiguous/Open Ending, Crush at First Sight, Fluff, Love at First Sight, M/M, Short &amp; Sweet, Wholesome</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 13:20:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,575</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23513590</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/vampiretyong/pseuds/vampiretyong</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Living with such a rambunctious as Ruby, being a plant dad wasn't as easy as Taeyong wishes it was, which was why he's returned to his favorite plant shop for the third time that month. Despite this being the third time, Taeyong doesn't recognize the cute man behind the counter.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lee Taeyong/Suh Youngho | Johnny</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Plant Daddy</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Taeyong was cute; he had soft, pink hair that smelled like strawberries. His cheeks puffed out and his lips turned into a pout whenever he was frustrated. His eyes sparkled and lit up when he talked about the things he loved. He kept a teddy bear keychain attached to his backpack at all times. He spent most of his days playing Animal Crossing and hanging out with his dog, Ruby.</p><p>But most importantly, Taeyong had an affinity for plants. Some would call him a “plant dad.” Taeyong’s collection wasn’t small, but it wasn’t big either; he had enough plants to fit one in every room of his small apartment.</p><p>Unfortunately, however, when you live with such a rambunctious dog as Ruby, being a plant dad isn’t very easy. This was why Taeyong was back at Taeil’s Bloom Room for the third time that month.</p><p>The bell chimed as he opened the door and stepped inside. The familiar smell of dirt and stale water hit him immediately. Taeil’s Bloom Room was like his home away from home. Even though he would normally only visit a couple times a year, he always felt safe inside the walls of the store.</p><p>“Hi, welcome to Taeil’s Bloom Room, can I help you with anything?” a man behind the counter asked. Taeyong didn’t recognize him, he had no clue who this man was, which was odd since he had been there three times that month. The man who worked there previously, Yuta, had bright red hair that was long enough to keep up in a ponytail; however, the man currently behind the counter had short brown hair and was significantly taller than both Yuta and Taeyong.</p><p>The man behind the counter waved his hand in front of Taeyong’s face. “Hello..?”</p><p>Taeyong snapped back to reality, a blush forming on his face. “Hi, sorry, I’m here to buy a plant,” he stammered out.</p><p>“Isn’t that what plant shops are for?” the man laughed, causing Taeyong’s blush to darken. Taeyong looked at his name tag-- Johnny. Johnny was the tall man behind the counter with the chocolate hair and cute dimples. Wait… what?</p><p>“I.. um, I’m sorry, but who are you? I don’t want to sound rude, but I’ve never seen you here before and I’ve kinda been here three times this month,” Taeyong questioned hesitantly.</p><p>“Oh, I’m Johnny! I’m Taeil’s brother-in-law. I’m just filling in for Yuta today, his family’s in town and he wanted to spend some time with them,” he explained, a smile spreading across his face. Taeyong nodded and looked around, trying to hide the darkening blush on his face. “So what can I help you with?”</p><p>Taeyong slowly started walking towards the rows of potted plants to try and get a more cohesive idea of what he wanted. “Well, my dog destroyed my asparagus fern, and then destroyed my English ivy, so I’m hoping to buy something that would be a little smaller and a lot harder for her to kill.”</p><p>Johnny slowly nodded as Taeyong talked, having no idea what he was talking about. “So, how big is your dog?”</p><p>Taeyong shrugged. “Not very big, she’s a papillon.”</p><p>Johnny nodded again. He had no clue what a papillon was. He knew nothing about plants. He had no clue what he was talking about. Johnny was panicking; there was a cute boy in front of him who faintly smelled like strawberries and was blushing at every minor thing. Johnny felt like his heart was going to explode.</p><p>“Since she’s not big, I would suggest something small, something she can’t really get into,” he acknowledged, looking around for the smallest plants he could find.</p><p>Taeyong blinked. That’s it? That’s all Johnny had to offer? “So do you have any small plants? Any Cotyledon tomentosa? Or Monilaria obconica?”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, they’re over here,” he said confidently, walking over to the smallest plants he could see.</p><p>“Hey, Johnny?” Taeyong called out. Johnny looked back at him, his eyebrows raised in anticipation. “They’re right here.” He pointed to a small collection of succulents that he was standing next to. Where they both were standing before Johnny walked away.</p><p>Johnny blinked. He was embarrassed. He was embarrassed in front of the cute strawberry boy. He made himself look like a fool in front of the cute strawberry boy. Johnny had to play this off somehow. </p><p>“Seems like you should be the one working here,” Johnny joked, walking back over to where he was previously.</p><p>Taeyong laughed softly at the tall man’s obvious embarrassment. “You don’t... know much about plants, do you?”</p><p>Johnny was defeated. His facade ripped away by the fact that he didn’t know a thing about plants. Or dogs, for that matter. He sighed, “No, not really…”</p><p>Taeyong, on the other hand, was excited. The tall man with cute dimples and no knowledge whatsoever was the perfect candidate for Taeyong to boast about what he knew about plants. He was, after all, a plant dad. “Well, Cotyledon tomentosas grow up to about 70 centimeters, so they’re not that small, but they are very cute. They look like little bear paws, which is why they’re commonly called ‘Bear Paw Cacti.’” He motioned to the small array of succulents next to him.</p><p>Johnny nodded, taking in every word the other was saying. Johnny noticed the way his face was almost the same shade of pink as his hair. He noticed the way the shorter man’s eyes were sparkling as he talked. He noticed his backpack, littered with sewed-on patches and a fluffy teddy bear hanging from one of the zippers. He noticed his slippers-- slippers? Why was he wearing slippers?</p><p>Taeyong noticed the smile creep onto Johnny’s face as his eyes trailed down his body and he was absolutely certain that his hair and his face were the same color at that point. Was he checking him out? Did he think he was cute? Did he think he was weird? Oh god.</p><p>Taeyong picked up a potted Bear Paw and walked back up to the counter. “I’ll take this one,” he beamed.</p><p>Johnny staggered back up behind the counter, trying his best not to embarrass himself again. He looked at the tiny plant in front of him as he grabbed the barcode reader. He admired the pink tips on the little sprouts, how they really did look like little bear paws. It was cute, like the guy in front of him… who he didn’t know the name of.</p><p>Johnny picked up the small plant and scanned the barcode on the bottom. “So, what’s your name?”</p><p>“Oh, I’m Taeyong.”</p><p>Johnny nodded. Taeyong was a cute name. A cute name for a cute boy. If Taeyong was an animal, he’d be a cat. A cute cat. A cute cat with pastel pink fur. A cute cat with pastel pink fur that smelt like strawberries. Perhaps Johnny was describing a Care Bear.</p><p>The sound of Taeyong’s laugh startled him. He set the plant down and looked at the other man, confused. “You think I’m cute? Like a cat?”</p><p>Oh.</p><p>Taeyong’s laugh was just as cute as he was, but it was drowned out by the thundering of Johnny’s heart. He said everything out loud. Taeyong heard everything. And was laughing at him. Johnny wanted the Earth to swallow him up right then and there.</p><p>On the other hand, Taeyong was ecstatic. The tall boy who had he had just met thought he was cute. And cat-like. Taeyong was the complete opposite of upset.</p><p>Johnny put his face in his hands and began to mumble out apologies as Taeyong’s laughter subsided. Both of their faces were embarrassing shades of pink now. Taeyong took hold of Johnny’s hands and pried them off his face. “You don’t have to apologize, I- uh, I think you’re cute too.”</p><p>It was Johnny’s turn to have his blush darken. Cute strawberry boy Taeyong thought he was cute. Taeyong thought he was cute. Johnny had to be dreaming.</p><p>The pair locked eyes, both their faces varying shades of pink. Johnny’s mouth was slightly agape. Time seemed to slow. Both seemed to hold their breath. The cold sensation of Johnny’s hands in his brought Taeyong back to reality.</p><p>Wait. He was still holding Johnny’s hands.</p><p>Taeyong dropped Johnny’s hands like they were on fire, despite the fact that they were much cooler than his. He chuckled nervously, one hand going to scratch the back of his neck. “I, uh, guess the feeling’s mutual?”</p><p>“I guess so,” Johnny affirmed, taking a quick look at the cash register. “Your total’s $8.75.”</p><p>Taeyong laughed again, amused with the taller’s antics. “You’re adorable,” he mumbled as he dug through his bag, looking for his wallet.</p><p>“Do you wanna-- Can I have your phone number?” Johnny asked, nervousness pooling in the pit of his stomach. Taeyong quickly nodded, handing over his money. Taeyong pulled a random receipt and pen out of his bag and scribbled down his information, handing that to Johnny as well.</p><p>Johnny looked at the receipt he was handed ($9.00 for a Hello Kitty sleep mask). Lee Taeyong. What a cute name.</p><p>Taeyong picked up his new plant and flashed a smile at Johnny. “See you around Johnny, call me sometime.” he chirped, heading for the door.</p><p>Right before Taeyong had left the shop, Johnny called out to him. He turned around to face Johnny, eyebrows raised expectedly.</p><p>“Can I meet your dog?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>omg my first posted work o_o. uhh feel free to tell me what you think. &lt;3</p><p><a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/vampiretyong">twt</a> | <a href="https://curiouscat.qa/vampiretyong">cc</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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